Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs Honor Play 40
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, while the Honor Play 40 (2023) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G. By overall MobileRank rating, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads — 84/100 vs 18/100 (a 66-point difference). Key differences: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has the bigger battery (5500 mAh vs 5200); the main camera is 50 MP vs 13 MP; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is faster in AnTuTu (4,430,255 vs 477,542); the Honor Magic8 Pro Air has NFC for contactless payments, the Honor Play 40 doesn't; the Honor Magic8 Pro Air is noticeably lighter (155g vs 188g).
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
Honor Play 40
- Higher AnTuTu: 4430255 vs 477542
- Better Geekbench Single: 3228 vs 746
- Better Geekbench Multi: 9553 vs 1816
- Bigger battery: 5500 vs 5200 mAh
- Faster charging: 80W vs 10W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 13MP
- Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz
- Lighter: 155g vs 188g
- Higher performance (89/100 vs 0/100)
- Better camera (84/100 vs 0/100)
- Longer battery life (67/100 vs 42/100)
- Better display (100/100 vs 50/100)
- Better design/ergonomics (100/100 vs 65/100)
- Overall rating 18/100
Comparing the Honor Magic8 Pro Air vs the Honor Play 40, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air scores 66 points higher (84/100 vs 18/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (89/100 vs 0/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (84/100 vs 0/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads (67/100 vs 42/100). In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (89/100 vs 0/100). In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 50/100). In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (84/100 vs 0/100). In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play 40 (67/100 vs 42/100). In the "design" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 65/100). In the "value for money" category, both devices are on the same level — 55/100.
| Specification | Honor Magic8 Pro Air | Honor Play 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G | |
| AnTuTu | 4430255 | 477542 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3228 | 746 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 9553 | 1816 | |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED | 6.6" TFT LCD | |
| Resolution | 1216x2640 | 720x1612 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | |
| Battery | 5500 mAh | 5200 mAh | |
| Charging | 80W | 10W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 13 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 0 MP | |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 6GB / 8GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 128GB / 256GB | |
| OS | Android 16, MagicOS 10 | Android 13, Magic OS 7.1 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68 | — | |
| Dimensions | 150.5×71.9×6.1 mm | 163.3×75.1×8.4 mm | |
| Weight | 155 g | 188 g | |
| Price | — | — |
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- Main: 50MP f/f/1.6
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 64MP
- Front: 50MP
Honor Play 40
- Main: 13MP f/f/1.8
- Front: 5MP
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 6.3" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1216x2640
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Honor Play 40
- 6.6" TFT LCD
- Resolution: 720x1612
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Honor Magic8 Pro Air
- 5500 mAh
- Wired: 80W
- Wireless: 50W
Honor Play 40
- 5200 mAh
- Wired: 10W
- No wireless charging
We compared Honor Magic8 Pro Air and Honor Play 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads Honor Play 40 by 827.7% in our overall performance rating.
performance
In the "performance" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (89/100 vs 0/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 50/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (84/100 vs 0/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air notably outperforms the Honor Play 40 (67/100 vs 42/100).
design
In the "design" category, the Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 (100/100 vs 65/100).
value for money
In the "value for money" category, both devices are on the same level — 55/100.
Which is better: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air significantly outperforms the Honor Play 40 by 66 points (84/100 vs 18/100).
What is the rating of the Honor Magic8 Pro Air and the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air has a MobileRank rating of 84/100, the Honor Play 40 — 18/100.
Which has the better camera: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on camera score (84/100 vs 0/100).
Which is more powerful: the Honor Magic8 Pro Air or the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air leads on performance (89/100 vs 0/100).
Should you choose the Honor Magic8 Pro Air over the Honor Play 40?
The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts. The Honor Play 40 is a better fit for everyday use.